Thanks to the machinations of the Riddler, Gotham City has gone dark in the latest episode of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's critically-acclaimed retelling of Batman's origin story -- but Bruce Wayne's alter ego is nowhere to be found.

Batman #25, released next Wednesday, features the fifth chapter of Snyder and Capullo's "Zero Year" storyline, which tells the story of just what drove Bruce Wayne to adopt the guise of Batman, how well the city reacted to his initial appearances (Spoilers: Not that well), and the ways in which the arrival of the Batman helped create some of his earliest enemies.

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The story continues this month not only in the pages of Batman, but in other "New 52" titles across the DC Universe, with Action Comics, Green Lantern Corps and Green Arrow just some of the series that will feature special "Zero Year" tie-in issues throughout November.

Read on for an exclusive preview of Batman #25 -- and see some of the destruction caused by Gotham's blackout for yourself.